INTRODUCTION

   Having all but announced their upcoming GeForce RTX 4070/4080 Super graphics cards NVIDIA is once again gearing up to win over gamers and enthusiasts alike from all over the world. Needless to say, the same applies for AMD which is too gearing up to unveil their upcoming graphics cards and CPUs and of course Intel which is already working on their next motherboard chipsets and CPUs. As expected, this means that countless people all over the world will be looking to upgrade their systems (or build new ones) with ATX 3.0 & PCIe 5.0 compliant power supply units and so today with me i have yet another such model, the Hydro PTM X PRO 1000W by FSP (HPT3-1000M Gen5).

   FSP Group is one of the global leading power supply manufacturers. Since its establishment in 1993, FSP Group has followed the management conception “service, profession, and innovation” to continuously fulfil its responsibilities as a green energy resolution supplier. With the combination of its leading role in power supply technology and the cultivation of green energy field, FSP Group now provides more competitive quality products and makes itself the most reliable partner for customers, consumers, and suppliers with joint creation of maximized values.

     Just like other lines by FSP the PTM X PRO line was recently also upgraded and so it currently includes 850/1000/1200W output models all of which are available in black and white colors, fully modular, compliant with all the latest standards (ATX12V V3.0, PCIe 5.0, EPS12V V2.92 and IEC 62368) and are also 80 Plus Platinum efficiency certified (equal or over 92% electrical efficiency). The 1000W variant which is with me today features a single +12VHPWR 600W power cable, single powerful +12V rail (83.33A) capable of delivering 100% of the units’ total power output (1000W), peak power output of no less than 1138.6W (although once again according to ATX 3.0 specs peak should now be up to 2KW for up to 100ms duration – not something i can test however), 4 PCIe 6+2 connectors, active PFC, LLC half-bridge topology with DC-to-DC technology, 100% Japanese capacitors, fan ECO mode with 0dBA function (reduced power consumption and noise at low loads), changeable side stickers and interior conformal coating (dust, humidity and stain protection). Finally, just like other lines by FSP the new Hydro PTM X PRO power supply units are covered by a 10-year limited warranty and numerous electrical protections such as OVP (over-voltage), SCP (short-circuit), OPP (over-power), OCP (over-current) and OTP (over-temperature).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Once again, the box used by FSP has a large product picture at the front surrounded by the main product features, company logo, output and a paper showcasing the ATX 3.0 & PCIe 5.0 feature.

Typically, the power cord type is tagged on the left side of the box.

The electrical table is printed at the top right next to the noise and efficiency graphs.

A drawing at the base of the box is used to point to the number of modular power cables.

Another product picture is placed at the rear next to the features list.

As expected, the PSU is placed between two pieces of black foam whereas the modular power cables are placed inside a storage/carrying pouch.

Along with the Hydro PTM X PRO 1000W (ATX 3.0) its power cord and modular cables inside the box you'll also find a test adapter, cable straps, 4 mounting screws, 4 side stickers, warranty paper, manual and the user guide.

THE HYDRO PTM X PRO 1000W (ΑΤΧ 3.0) EXTERIOR

Aside the braided +12VHPWR cable every other modular cable is a low-profile (slim) one.

Measuring 150mm in length, 130mm in width and 86mm in height the new Hydro PTM X PRO 1000W follows the typical ATX size.

The 120mm FDB (fluid dynamic bearing) fan is located underneath a grille with the line logo at the center.

Both sides of the enclosure feature replaceable stickers which can be swapped with the bundled ones if they match your taste better.

Turning the unit over we find a large sticker with the electrical table on it.

All 11 modular connectors are both tagged and different in shape.

Moving at the rear we find the usual honeycomb perforation along with the eco and power on/off switches and of course the power port.

THE HYDRO PTM X PRO 1000W (ΑΤΧ 3.0) INTERIOR

Once again, the 120mm FDB fan used with the Hydro PTM X PRO 1000W (ATX 3.0) is manufactured by PROTECHNIC ELECTRIC and can reach a maximum rotational speed of up to 2700RPM to produce up to 96.2 CFM of airflow with 40.3 dBA of noise.

Due to its size the PTX X PRO interior may be way too populated but as always FSP has done a very good job.

This time over FSP has used Nippon Chemi-Con for their primary capacitors which are certified for use up to 105 degrees Celsius.

Secondary capacitors are by Rubycon and Nippon Chemi-Con (these are also certified for use up to 105 degrees Celsius).

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     Using a dedicated measurement instrument such as a Chroma or a SunMoon to test power supply units is without doubt the most ideal and accurate way (not to mention the fastest) to do that currently. However, it's certainly not the only way there is and so pretty much anyone can test a power supply unit just by using a test rig. Certainly, limitations do apply and so you can't really push a 1000W power supply to its limits if your system only uses 500W at peak loads and that's why over the years we saved certain hardware components for the purpose of building a dedicated PSU test rig. True it may not be as accurate as the above mentioned solutions but it comes really close and is in fact much closer to real world usage. So as always, we ran several games with maximum graphic options enabled at a resolution of 2560x1600 in order to stress every hardware component and increase the overall power demands of the system. The Passmark BurnIn Test was also used to overstress the components in an effort to provide the most accurate results possible. As a final test we also used the latest OCCT 4.4 software and its dedicated PSU testing suite since it can really bring a power supply to its knees after inside a few minutes.

   Rail stability was checked/measured with the CPUID Hardware monitor and a Metex multimeter which also recorded the system load in idle and in load. As always try to remember that the power consumption numbers listed in the graph are the highest (Peak) ones recorded during the entire duration of the tests and not the average ones. Noise levels coming from the fan were recorded using the high precision HD600 ExTech Sound dBA Meter from the rear of the unit and at a range of no more than 5-10cm. Readings under load are recorded the exact moment we manually switch the fans of all graphics cards from full speed to almost zero, that way the fan of the power supply does not have enough time to slow its RPM and so by doing this we get very accurate noise level readings. Needless to say, in order to get 100% accurate readings, you need to have a noise isolated room for that exact purpose, something which is quite impossible unless you are working inside a real lab (some people use very small noise insulated boxes but due to their size both heat and noise exceed normal levels and so the results can't really be considered to be 100% accurate, nor realistic for that matter). Also do take into account that since all noise measurements take place from just 5-10cm away the final noise levels to reach your ears will be considerably less.

* After well over 10 years of testing PSUs the Intel Core i7-920 CPU of this rig failed and so we replaced it with a Xeon X5660 (we also swapped the GA-X58A-UD7 for the G1. Assassin).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Just like with most PSUs I’ve tested from FSP the latest Hydro PTM X PRO met all my expectations not just in terms of build quality and features (both of which I’ve come to expect by FSP over the years) but also rail stability which is nothing short of excellent. Yes, noise levels did get quite high at full load and there are a couple of electrical protections missing (always compared to other Hydro lines) but that’s just me nitpicking, especially since most of its direct competition has the same exact issues. Size is also a plus and even though it does mean higher temperatures and thus a more aggressive fan curve (which in turn results in higher noise levels) I think for most users the drawback is not that important.

   Currently retailing for 205.74Euros inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for around 210Euros inside the EU the Hydro PTM X PRO 1000W ATX 3.0 & PCIe 5 power supply unit by FSP is priced relatively well. Overall, there’s not much I can say about the Hydro PTM X PRO 1000W that’s not shown in the charts and pictures. Build quality is very good, rail stability is excellent, features and protections are what you’d expect by one of the leading PSU manufacturers in the field and as for warranty with their 10-year limited one you need not worry about something bad happening (not that it will but it’s always good to have a serious warranty in place). On top of that the Hydro PTM X PRO line is available in black and white color and so for all of the above the 1000W variant gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Solid Rail Stability
- ATX 3.0 & PCIe 5.0
- 80 Plus Platinum Certified
- 12VHPWR 600W Connector
- Single Strong +12V Rail (83.33A)
- Fully Modular
- Electrical Protections (OVP/SCP/OPP/OCP/OTP)
- Size
- Available In Black & White Colors
- ECO Fan Mode
- 10 Year Limited Warranty

CONS

- Noise Levels (For Some)